Vices and auxiliary jaws for use in connection with vices



Feb. 13, 1968 w. JiWORTHlNGTON 3,363,803

VICES AND AUXILIARY JAWS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH VICES E SheetS-Shet 1 Filed Sept. 23, 1964- INVENTOR WALTER J'- WORTH ING-TON Feb. 3, 1968 w. J. WORTHINGTON 3,368,308

VICES AND AUXILIARY JAWS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH VICES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 23, 1964 INvEN'roR WALTER a. woRTniuo'rou 1968 w. J. WORTHINGTON 3,368,803

VICES AND AUXILIARY JAWS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH VICES Filed Sept. 25, 1964 a Sheets-Sheet rs WALTER J. \JQRTHING-TON United States Patent 3,368,808 VICES AND AUXILIARY JAWS FOR USE IN QUNNECTION WITH VICES Walter J. Worthington, 245 Wahnley Road, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England Filed Sept. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 398,639 7 Claims. (Cl. 269279) ABSTRACT UP THE DISCLOSURE Vice jaws include one jaw having a turret jaw pivotally mounted on one end thereof for rotation about an axis parallel to the face of said jaw, the other jaw having an integral extension on the corresponding end thereof for cooperation with said turret jaw and laterally overhanging the vice sub-structures. The turret jaw has a plurality of faces arranged to respectively be disposed in coplanar relation with the face of its supporting jaw and one of said turret jaw faces constituting a continuation of said supporting jaw face.

Background of invention At the present time it is customary to fabricate the bodies of the fixed and movable jaws of a vice from metal castings and to secure, by screws or equivalent expedients, a hardened steel or equivalent facing plate to and transversely of each of the two castings, the adjacent and exposed surfaces of the two plates being flat and parallel to one another and being serrated to enhance their ability to clamp workpieces inserted between them. However, to enable workpieces of circular and irregular section to be clamped more easily and securely between the plates, it has been proposed to provide a pair of auxiliary jaws each of which is adapted to be secured to a corresponding one of the bodies so that one face of each of the auxiliary jaws seats upon the exposed and serrated surface of the corresponding facing plate, the opposite surface of the auxiliary jaw being formed with longitudinal and transverse grooves which are perpendicular to one another and may be of any desired shape in cross section. Further, to enable a workpiece to be clamped more securely between the facing plates of the fixed and movable jaw bodies of a vice in any one of a number of different positions in a plane parallel to the facing plates, it has been proposed to provide an auxiliary jaw of which one face has a fixed and headed stud adapted to be inserted and detachably secured in a hole in the middle of the facing plate of one of the bodies, and a longitudinal rib adapted to engage any one of a number of relatively inclined grooves formed in the exposed surface of the said facing plate and intersecting one another at the centre of the hole.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to facilitate the clamping of elongated workpieces, such as tubes, rods and strips, between the jaw bodies of a vice, irrespectively of whether the workpieces are of uniform or varying cross sectional dimensions and without improvisation, such as the insertion of loose packing pieces between the jaws.

A further object of the invention is to ensure that when fiat workpieces are clamped between the jaw bodies of a .vice they may be held positively against movement relatively to the bodies even when subjected to appreciable pressure whilst being operated upon.

In accordance with the said invention, a hardened steel or like rectangular block is journalled upon at least one end of the body of one of the jaws of a vice about an axis extending lengthwise of the jaw, the corresponding end of the body of the other jaw is provided with an extension upon which a hardened steel or like facing plate is secured, and one or more of the peripheral faces of the block is or are grooved longitudinally and/ or transversely.

Preferably the jaw body upon which the block is journalled has a hardened steel or like facing plate secured thereto and the exposed surface of the said plate is formed with a longitudinal groove with which, if desired, a transverse groove in one of the peripheral faces of the block may be brought into axial alignment, whereas the other jaw body also has secured thereto a hardened steel or like facing plate which is co-extensive with the body and extension and of which the exposed face has longitudinal, transverse and inclined grooves formed therein.

In addition, each facing plate preferably projects beyond the top of the corresponding jaw body to which it is secured and the upper portion of its exposed face is formed with a longitudinal rebate of which one wall is perpendicular to the said face and, therefore, is adapted to assist in supporting any flat workpiece clamped between the other and upright walls of the two rebated plate portions. If desired, an aperture may be formed in the upright wall of the rebated portion of at least one of the two facing plates so that when, for example, a flat circular workpiece is clamped between the jaws in a plane parallel to the longitudinal centre lines of the facing plates and with its periphery projecting into the aperture, it is gripped at at least three spaced points around its periphery.

If desired, instead of journalling the block upon the body of one jaw of a vice and providing the body of the other jaw with a lateral extension, the block may be journalled upon one end of one of two auxiliary jaws which are adapted to be detachably secured respectively upon the said bodies and each of which comprises a metal casting upon which a corresponding one of the hardened steel or like grooved and rebated facing plates are fixed so that when the auxiliary jaws are secured to the respective jaw bodies a workpiece may be clamped between the plates and/ or the block on the one auxiliary jaw and the facing plate on the other auxiliary jaw.

In order that the invention may be understood more readily and carried into practice, reference will now be madeto the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the fixed and movable jaws of a vice.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view to FIGURE 1 looking from the opposite side of the vice.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are perspective views similar to FIGURES 1 and 2, respectively, of auxiliary jaws adapted to be detachably secured to the jaw bodies of a vice, as indicated diagrammatically and in chain dot lines in FIGURE 3.

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views of a part of one of the auxiliary jaws and respectively show the said part in three alternative positions.

FIGURE 8 is a plan, partly in section along the line a-a, FIGURE 3, but showing one of the two auxiliary jaws adjusted for clamping a tapered workpiece in the vice.

FIGURE 9 is a section, on an enlarged scale, showing an alternative or modified auxiliary jaw assembled to a vice jaw.

FIGURE 10 is a pespec-tive view of the auxiliary jaw shown in FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is an end elevation, partly in section, showing two modified auxiliary jaws secured in alternative positions upon the jaw bodies of a vice, and

FIGURE 12 is a plan of the auxiliary jaws shown in FIGURE 11.

' facing plate 3 which is secured in position by two screws 4, and, on one end, with a hardened steel rectangular block which is rotatable about a cylindrical stud 6 secured in and projecting perpendicularly from the said end so that its axis is parallel to the facing plate 3.

p The facing plate is co-extensive with the body face to which it is secured and its lower edge seats upon a ledge 7 which is formed on and extends along the length of the lower part of the movable body, the plate being thicker than the width of the ledge and deeper than the distance between the ledge and the top of the body so that it projects forwardly of the ledge and upwardly of the body.

A V-section groove 8 is formed in and extends along the length of the exposed face of the plate 3 and the upper part of the said face is formed with a rebate which also extends along the length of the plate and of which the wall 9 is perpendicular and the wall 10 is parallel to the exposed face.

Of the four peripheral faces of the block 5, the face 5a is flat (see FIGURES 1, 2 and 7), the face 5b is formed with a longitudinal V-section groove 50 (see FIGURES 1, 6 and 7), the face 5d is formed with a longitudinal V-section groove 5e (see FIGURES 5 and 6) which is narrower than the groove 50, and the face 5f (see FIG- URES 2 and 5) is formed with a transverse V-section groove 5g which is of the same cross sectional dimensions as the groove 8 in the exposed face of the facing plate 3 and with a transverse rebate 51: which is of the same cross sectional dimensions as the rebate 9, 10 in the upper part of the facing plate. By rotating the block about the stud, any one of the block faces 50, 5b, 5a. or 5 may be located in the plane of the exposed face of the plate 3 and the transverse groove 5g and rebate 5h are so positioned in the face 5f that when this face is located in the plane of the exposed plate face, the said groove and rebate are in registering alignment with the groove 8 and rebate 9, 10 respectively (see FIGURE 2).

The stationary jaw body 2 is formed, at one end thereof, with a lateral extension 11 of which the length is equal to the length of the rotatable block so that the sum of the lengths of the body 2 and extension 11 is equal to the sum of the lengths of the body 1 and block 5.

A ledge 12 is formed on and extends along the length of the lower part of the body 2 and extension 11 and a hardened steel facing plate 13, of which the thickness is greater than the width of the ledge and the depth is greater than the distance between the ledge and the top of the stationary jaw body, is secured to the faces of the said body and extension adjacent to the movable jaw body, by screws 14 with the lower edge of the plate 13 seated upon the ledge.

The exposed face of the facing plate 13 is formed, first, with a longitudinal V-section groove 15 which is narrower and is situated at a lower level than the groove 8 in the facing plate 3 on the movable jaw body, secondly, with a longitudinal rebate 16, 17 which is identical to and is situated at the same level as the rebate 9, 10 and in the upwardly extending wall 17 of which an aperture 18 is formed, thirdly, with a transverse V-section groove 19, fourthly, with a transverse arcuate section groove 20, and fifthly, with two relatively inclined and intersecting V-section grooves 21, 22.

By forming the facing plates with the longitudinal grooves 8 and 15, the transverse grooves 19, 20 and inclined grooves 21, 22 workpieces of a wide range of different shapes and dimensions may be clamped securely and positively in the vice either horizontally, vertically or in an inclined position by engaging any one of the workpieces in a selected one of the grooves. When, for example, it is desired to clamp a flat-faced or strip-like workpiece in the vice, the or one flat face of the workpiece may be seated upon the rebate walls 9 and 16 whereupon, by moving the movable jaw body towards the stationary jaw body, the workpiece is clamped between the upwardly extending rebate walls 10 and 17; since the workpiece is not only clamped between the walls 10 and 17 but is also supported upon the walls 9 and 16, it is held positively against downwards movement in the vice even when being subjected to an operation which causes a downward pressure to be exerted thereon. Further, should the flat workpiece be of circular shape, for example, so that if clamped between the rebate walls 10 and 17, it would be gripped at two circumferentially spaced points only, the provision of the aperture 18 enables the periphery of the workpiece to be engaged in the aperture so that, upon moving the movable jaw body towards the stationary jaw body, the said workpiece is gripped at three circumferentially spaced points and, consequently, is held positively against movement lengthwise of the facing plates.

A recognised disadvantage inherent to known vices is that it is difiicult to clamp a tube, rod or like elongated workpiece of appreciable length and cross sectional dimensions, between the facing plates in a vertical or nearly vertical position, because the lower end of the workpiece is obstructed by the sub-structure of the vice. This disadvantage is overcome in a vice constructed in accordance with the present invention because the rotatable block 5 and extension 11 are located laterally of, and are therefore offset from or overhang the sub-structure. Hence, when it is desired to clamp such workpiece in a vertical, or nearly vertical, position in the vice shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the block 5 is rotated so as to present a selected one of its peripheral faces to the facing plate 13 whereupon the workpiece may be inserted between the said selected face and plate without fouling or being obstructed by the sub-structure of the vice, and may be clamped securely in position by moving the movable jaw body towards the stationary body.

Similarly, should it be desired to clamp a tapered workpiece in the vice with the direction of taper at right angles to the longitudinal center lines of the jaws, such a workpiece is also inserted between the rotatable block and the plate 13 after rotating the block to present a selected one of its peripheral faces to the plate whereupon, on moving the movable jaw body towards the stationary body, the block will turn automatically about the stud 6 as it impacts the workpiece so that it will contact and grip the latter along the entire length of the selected face.

Alternatively and as shown in FIGURES 38, instead of mounting the rotatable block on one end of one jaw body of a vice wherein the corresponding end of the other jaw body is provided with an integral extension and the facing plates 3 and 13 are secured to the said bodies, the block and plates may be provided on two auxiliary aws 23, 24 which are adapted to be assembled to the aws 1a and 2a (indicated by chain dot lines in FIG- URES 3 and 8) of an existing vice wherein the jaw bodies are of known construction and are provided with known serrated facing plates, so as to modify such an existing vice in a manner which gives it the advantages inherent in the vice shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Each auxiliary jaw comprises a cast metal body of which one part is of right angle shape in cross section, is 0f a length equal to the length of the jaw bodies of the exlsting vice upon which the auxiliary jaws are intended to be assembled, and is provided with a transverse wall at one end.

The stud 6 is secured in and projects from and perpendicularly to the external surface of the transverse wall 25 of the body of the auxiliary jaw 23 and the block 5 is mounted on and is rotatable about the stud. The facing plate 3 is of the same length as the body of the auxiliary jaw 23 and is secured upon the external surface of the flange 23a (FIGURES 3 and 8) of the said body by screws (not shown) extending through the flange from the interior of the angle section portion of the said body into engagement with tapped holes in the plate. The plate extends along the entire length of the flange and across the wall 25 and its lower edge seats upon a co-extensive ledge 7a projecting from the lower part of the flange, the said ledge being of a width less than the thickness of the plate and being spaced from the external surface of the other flange 23b of the said auxiliary jaw body by a distance less than the depth of the plate so that the plate projects forwardly beyond the ledge and upwardly beyond the flange 23b. In addition, a lip 23c projecting from and extending along the length of the lower part of the internal surface of the flange 23a, is spaced from the internal surface of the flange 23b by a distance slightly greater than the depth of the plate supporting faces of the jaw bodies of the existing vice to which the auxiliary jaws are intended to be assembled.

Set screws 26 engage tapped holes which are formed in the flange 23b at such positions that the screws are spaced from the internal surface of the flange 23a by a distance equal to the thickness of the known serrated facing plates which are secured to and project upwardly from the top of the jaw bodies of the existing vice.

The transverse wall 25a of the body of the other auxiliary jaw 24 is of a thickness equal to the sum of the thickness of the wall 25 and the length of the rotatable block 5 so that the length of the auxiliary jaw 24 is equal to the length of the auxiliary jaw 23 plus the length of the rotatable block. The facing plate 13 is of the same length as the body of the jaw 24 and is secured upon the external surface of the flange 24a of the said body, in the same manner as the plate 3 is secured to the flange 23a, and extends across the transverse wall 25a. The flange 24a is also formed on its external surface with a plate supporting ledge 12a which is narrower than the thickness of the plate 13 and is spaced from the upper surface of the other flange 24b of the body of the auxiliary jaw 24 by a distance less than the width of the said plate, and on its internal surface with a lip 240 which is spaced from the internal surface of the flange 24b by a distance slightly greater than the depth of the plate supporting faces of the existing vice. Also, the flange 24b is provided with set screws 26a which are identical to the screws 26 and are engaged in tapped holes situated in the same location relatively to the flange 24a as the holes engaged by the screws 26 are situated relatively to the flange 23a.

A passageway 27 (see FIGURE 8) extending through the transverse wall 25a is slidably engaged by a wedge 28 which is of a length such that its tapered end 28a is adapted to be projected beyond the internal surface of the wall along the internal surface of the flange 24a, and a blade spring 29 secured by one end upon the opposite end of the flange 24a to the wall 25a, extends transversely of the jaw body below the flange 24b, the opposite end of the spring being formed into a cylindrical head 29a which is located beyond the latter flange.

Either of the two auxiliary jaws 23 or 24 may be assembled to either of the jaw bodies 1a or 2a of the existing vice by sliding each auxiliary jaw on to a selected corresponding one of the vice jaw bodies until the body of the auxiliary jaw is located so that the flange 23a (or 24a) seats upon the exposed serrated surface of the facing plate secured upon the selected vice jaw body, the flange 23b (or 24b) seats upon and projects beyond the upper edge of the said serrated plate into overhanging relationship with the top of the selected vice jaw body and the internal surface of the transverse wall 25 (or 25a) seats upon the adjacent end of, and the lip 230 (or 240) engages under the said selected vice jaw body, whereupon the screws 26 (or 26a) are rotated until they bear upon the top of the body and engage behind the upwardly projecting portion of the serrated facing plate. Before assembling the auxiliary jaw 24 to a jaw body of the existing vice, the wedge 28 is withdrawn, wholly or partially, from the passageway 27 so that its tapered end 28a no longer projects beyond the internal surface of the wall 25a; further, as the jaw is assembled upon the selected vice jaw body, the cylindrical head 29:: of the spring 29 engages behind the said body (see FIGURE 8). On the other hand if, subsequently to the assembly of the auxiliary jaws to the respective vice jaw bodies, it is desired to clamp a tapered workpiece between and lengthwise of the plates 3 and 13, the screws 26a are rotated in the reverse direction until they no longer project from the internal surface of the flange 24b, and the wedge 28 is slid inwardly of the passageway 27 so that its tapered end is inserted between the said flange 24b and the serrated surface of the facing plate of the vice jaw body upon which the auxiliary jaw 24 is assembled, and (as shown in FIGURE 8) the plate 13 is inclined to the plate 3; in such circumstances, the auxiliary jaw is retained upon the selected vice jaw body by the engagement of the cylindrical head 29a behind the said body.

It will be appreciated that, when the auxiliary jaws are assembled to the vice jaw bodies, the walls 25, 25a and the rotatable block 5 project beyond and are offset from or overhang the adjacent ends of the respective bodies so that a tube, rod or like elongated workpiece, or a tapered workpiece, may be clamped securely and firmly between the block and the plate 13, in a vertical or nearly vertical position, without being obstructed by or fouling the sub-structure of the vice.

If desired and as shown in FIGURES 9 and 10, instead of providing the set screws 26, 26a for retaining the auxiliary jaws in their assembled positions upon the jaw bodies of an existing vice, each of the flanges 23b and 24b of the auxiliary jaws may be provided with a flange 30 which depends from and perpendicularly to the internal surface of the said flange, is shallower than but co-extensive with the flange 23a (or 2411) is spaced from the internal surface of the latter flange by a distance equal to the thickness of the serrated plates 32 secured upon the vice jaw bodies by screws 31, and is formed with slots 30a which open to its lower edge and are pitched apart by a distance substantially equal to the distance by which the screws 31 are pitched apart.

To assemble such a modified or alternative auxiliary jaw to a vice jaw body, the screws 31 are slackened so that the serrated facing plate 32 may be moved away from the body by a distance sufficient to enable the jaw flange 30 to be inserted from above into the space between the said plate and body; as the flange enters the said space, the plate is embraced by and makes a sliding fit between the flanges 30 and 23a (or 24a) and each of the slots 30aengages over the shank of a corresponding one of the screws 31 thereby enabling the downwards movement of the auxiliary jaw to be continued until the internal surface of the flange 2312 (or 24b) abuts the upper edge of the plate 32 and registering holes 33 and 34 formed respectively in the flange 23a (or 24a) and the facing plate 3 (or 13) are in axial alignment with each of the said screws so that the latter may be tightened to clamp the flange 30 in position.

Alternatively, by cutting away or otherwise removing an end portion (of a length equal to the depth of the serrated plates 32), of each of the internal lips 23c and 24c adjacent to the respective transverse walls 25, 25a and engaging set screws 35, 35a in tapped holes extending through the walls 25, 25a respectively at locations such that the said holes are spaced from the internal surfaces of the respective jaw flanges 23a, 24a by a distance equal to the thickness of the serrated plates, the auxiliary jaws may be assembled to corresponding ends of the vice jaw bodies 1a, 2a (see FIGURE 11), with the longer centre lines of the auxiliary jaws at right angles, instead of parallel, to the longer centre lines of the serrated facing plates. When so assembled, the auxiliary jaws are retained positively upon the vice jaw bodies by tightening the screws 35, 35a against the upper surfaces of the bodies behind the projecting upper edge portions of the serrated plates 32 so that the upper ends of the lips 23c, 24c seat upon and are urged against the undersides of the forwardly projecting portions of the 7 said serrated plates. As shown in FIGURE 12, the area of the transverse wall 25 is enlarged so that the screw 35 is not masked by the block and is readily engageable and rotatable by an appropriate tool.

I claim: 1. In a vice construction including a fixed part and a sub-structure slidably mounted on said fixed part, a first jaw body on said fixed part, a second jaw body on said sub-structure, and jaw members on each of said jaw bodies and having vertical parallel faces disposed in opposition to each other and adapted to grip a work piece therebetween,

one of said jaw members having a lateral extension projecting beyond the corresponding end of the other jaw member and laterally beyond said sub-structure,

the other jaw member having an extension block rotatably mounted on said corresponding end thereof and rotatable about a horizontal axis parallel to said opposed faces of said jaw members,

said extension block having a plurality of faces selectively registerable to effect a continuation of the gripping face of said other jaw member and being externally co-extensive with said one jaw member extension, whereby a Work piece may be gripped between said extension block and said lateral extension to project vertically therebelow and clear said sub-structure.

2. In a vice construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said gripping face of said other jaw member is provided with a horizontal groove and one of said gripping faces of the extension block is provided with a horizontal groove registerable with and to form a continuation of the groove in said gripping face of the said other jaw member.

3. In a vice construction as defined in claim 2 wherein another face of said extension block is provided with a vertical groove.

4. In a vice construction as defined in claim 1 wherein the gripping faces of said jaw members are provided with horizontal rebates along their upper longitudinal edges.

5. In a vice construction as defined from claim 4 wherein one of said jaw members is provided with a cut away portion to interrupt the corresponding rebate.

6. In a vice construction according to claim 1 wherein said jaw members are removably mounted on said jaw bodies, respectively.

7. A vice construction according to claim 6 wherein said jaw members each comprise a base of angular section including vertical and horizontal flanges and an integral wall at one end spanning said flanges, a ledge along the outer free edge of said vertical flange and a face plate seated on said ledge and secured to the outer face of said vertical flange, said face plate being thicker than said ledge and having a height greater than the outer face of said vertical flange above said ledge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 228,245 6/1880 Brady 269263 294,736 3/1884 Hyde 269--279 306,592 10/1884 Laski 269-259 455,651 7/1891 Bingham 26927l 802,629 10/1905 Cook 269-282 2,854,875 10/1958 Patrick 269-279 FOREIGN PATENTS 214,760 4/ 1958 Australia.

ROBERT C. RIORDAN, Primary Examiner. 

